Book Trailers, Images, Music, and Copyrights

Before I get to the copyright issues where trailers are concerned, I wanted to give you an update on the book trailer contest.

All winners were to send me the address of a local library (to receive the donation of books) as part of the prize.

Third place winner, Mary Montague Sikes, selected West Point High School in West Point, VA.

First place winner, Alex J Cavanaugh, selected the Fayetteville Public Library in Fayetteville, NC.

For a full description of the contest results, go HERE


And in viewing all of these trailers, something came to mind - online images, music, text, and copyrights.

Actually, I need to give credit to my husband. We were discussing book trailers and how some authors create their own by using online images and music. He made this observation - “I wonder how those people would feel if someone used their writing to promote a product without asking permission?”

When someone does that or copies our work and calls it his own, we writers call that plagiarism. But the copyright law applies to music and images, too. When someone uses (without permission) an image, photo, or musical piece (one he simply ‘found’ on the internet) to advertise, it’s a violation of copyright. We in the art world call it THEFT.

This problem has grown with the internet. Many people post images online. However, this does not give others the right to use those images without permission. After many years of book and speaking promotions, not to mention over twenty years as a professional photographer, I am very conscious of the copyright laws. (Which is why the images I post here on my blog are all from my own stock collection.)

My advice for writers and authors - when considering images and music for your book trailer (or book cover, website, blog header, advertisement, etc.) be smart about it. Get permission! You may have to pay for the image or song piece, too. Sites that claim to offer free images usually don’t, so be prepared to pay a royalty fee. Better to acquire written permission of fair use and pay for the image or music than to risk a lawsuit.

Besides, how would you feel?